


A Little Secret

by StregataDalloStregatto



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 06:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6789181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StregataDalloStregatto/pseuds/StregataDalloStregatto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mel discovers that Alistair didn't tell her something very important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Secret

**Author's Note:**

> If you like Dragon Age stuff and fantasy things, here is
> 
> [my Tumblr](http://stregatadallostregatto.tumblr.com/) .

“Mel?”

“Unhm?!”

Not a word. A sound. The sound that probably could describe at its very best an angry, almost asleep person.

A normal human, one equipped with a medium survival istinct, would have worked out that continuing to speak, breaking her rest, wasn’t a great idea.

It had been a long day: more Darkspawn than usual, more Morrigan and Alistair’s bickers than usual, more difficult decisions than usual, just _more_ than usual. And usually her days were pretty difficult, between marching for asking help while the world was falling apart around them and trying to be the leader that people need. Not to mentions her new friends: stress, anxiety and fear, all of them comfortably seated on her shoulders.

Mel had thought that maybe the exhaustion would help her to sleep, finally. A real, full night of rest, not a terrifying awakening every hour, after seeing her family butchered, the Archdemon with its unstoppable army, the end of the world. 

She had eaten something quickly and crawled herself in Alistair’s tent. By now, everyone in the group knew about their realtionship. Or, as Zevran specified pleasantly, everyone heard them. Anyway, Alistair’s tent was already assembled contrary to hers, so she simply laid down on his - _their_ \- pallet, breathing reliefed. 

The little camp’s sounds and voices, so familiar and reassuring, cradled her as a well known lullaby, helping her body to become limp, her mind quiet. Nobody dared to ask her about her shift, a little present from her friends. Even Trax, after a quick, tender lick on her hand, decided to search company, and more food, from someone else. Maybe Leliana, who was always happy to spoil the big Mabari with her leftovers.

Anyway, Mel’s dog had been clever. About Alistair, she was starting to question his intellect.

“I can’t sleep.” he continued, murmuring against the skin of her shoulder, a situation than usual would finished with them naked. But she was struggling to keep her eyes open, making love wasn’t an option that night. Maybe in the morning, just before that everyone was awake, if Alistair allowed her to sleep right now.

“Archdemon stuff?” she stuttered trying to be sympathetic, reaching blindly for him. Her hand grabbed the arm which Alistair was using for holding her shape against him and she patted it absently. 

“No, I was just thinking.”

“Trying new activities during the night could be the problem, then.” she grunted, stiffening a moment later “Sorry, I didn’t mean… shit.” she cursed loudly, rolling herself for facing him “I didnt’ want to sound so grumpy. Sorry, really.” Alistair grinned, pretending to be offended “It’s always good to know what my beloved Warden companion thinks about me.”

“Your Warden companion thinks only the best of you.” she murmured, grinning and pressing her lips on his jaw, thinking once again that he was too good for her “Except when you impede her to sleep.”

“I know you’re tired…”

“Zonked, to be honest.” she amended, yawning and deciding to use his chest as a pillow. Alistair allowed her to put her head near his and encircling him with arms and legs, before speaking again “I just wanted… Maker, this sounds ridiculous now.”

“Alistair, c’mon.” she almost begged him. She wasn’t totally awake, she still could…

“Today was my birthday.”.

Mel chilled abruptly. 

“What?”

“Ah, I… today _is_ my birthday. Well, it was, since it’s night, but…”

Slowly, very slowly, she pushed herself up for looking at him, straight in his eyes “Today was you birthday.” she repeated slowly. He nodded, blushing and trying to laugh “I know that’s pointless tell you now that the day is almost finished, but…”

“Why didn’t you tell me early?!” Mel interrupted him, struck, almost screaming and not caring at all that the others could hear her “Today was your fucking birthday and you didn’t tell me until now, that is too late?!”

“Too late for what?” he inquired, genuinely surprised by her behavior. Mel sat up completely, shaking her head “Are you fucking kidding me?! For what?!” she repeated waving her hands “Why didn’t you give me time for thinking about something special for you?”.

Alistair tried to hug her, but Mel pushed away his arms. She didn’t want to be cuddled, she wanted to understand. 

The young man sighed, rubbing his eyes “I didn’t want to tell you something because we have most important things to do in this journey than worring about a birthday.”.

Mel planted her hands on her wide hips “So, why did you choose to tell me now?”

“Because… oh, Maker, I don’t know!” he groaned “I don’t know. Maybe because becoming older made me also sillier?”

“Alistair.” her low admonition was enough for breaking off other jokes. 

“Alright, alright.” the Warden capitulated, seeming very uncomfortable under her stern glare “I…  felt strange that you, the most important person for me, didn’t know this. At the beginning, I didn’t think you would find it important. Not with bigger matters as reaching Orzammar.”.

Mel could swear to have phisically felt the slap on her face summoned by his words.

He had thought that she wouldn’t care. 

She couldn’t keep an unperturbed face, thinking that Alistair evaluated so poorly her feelings. 

Was her fault? Did she say or make something which convince him that his presence wasn’t the most important thing for her, after their mission?

Their relationship was so new for her that maybe she did something wrong.

Alistair lifted himself, kneeling near her “Mel, no, don’t look at me in that way, please.”

“The man who I love thinks that his birthday isn’t something which I would care for and you demand me to not be upset?” she whispered, her throat painfully thight, pulling his hands far from her face “Did you really think that I wouldn’t be happy to celebrate, even if only saying you “Happy birthday!”? Do you really think that I care for you so little?”.

Alistair grabbed her shoulders “No, Camelia.” he assured serious and resolute, no more jokes or indecision in his voice “But these last months were a mess, to be positive. After what happened to Duncan, to your family, after all the blood and horrors that we faced, I was afraid that if I’d say something about a little thing like this you would thought I was childish. Not… not a worth partner for you, in every possible way.”

“Childish? Alistair, it’s true, our days are… busy. But, Maker helps us all, every day right now could be our last! Things like this, things that remember me why we’re fighting, for the good that this word still have, for the people, for our lives… little things like a birthday are important to me. You are important to me.”.

Alistair didn’t speak. Instead, he kissed her, hard, holding her body against his own and Mel, this time, didn’t reject his touch.

Alistair pressed his face against the crook of her neck “Please, say it again.”

“You are important to me, Alistair. You really are.” she replied, cradling him, caressing his messy hair “And don’t think never again that I could think less of you, because I couldn’t. Now, finished what you were saying before.”

He smiled tenderly, kissing her cheek “Well, as I said, at the beginning I just wanted to preserve the little dignity that I still have. But there is another reason… I… in the past… uhm, this sounds really pitiful, I’m warning you…”

Mel could feel the tension in his body, running under his rosy skin despite his playful voice. She massaged his back, slowly “Tell me, Alistair.”.

Their relationship could be young, but she knew that if he kept his unpleasant thoughts stuck in his mind, they would become heavier. When he was worried he needed to speak for thinking clearly again.

“This is the first time that someone want to celebrate my birthday.”.

Mel held him stronger and he continued “I was unsure if I wanted to tell you, because nobody cared about this, before. You can imagine why. I suppose I simply not use to be consider someone to commemorate.”. 

Of course. The ones who knew considered him a bastard, even if a royal one, and her experience with the nobles should have taught her something. Why someone would celebrate a child that one day could make troubles in the Court, trying to claim a throne?

“Nobody?” she asked gently, kissing the top of his head. His laugh was short and broken “Nope. Well, maybe Eamon once… you know, a quick sentence and a pat on my head.”

“Oh, Alistair.” she sighed and she couldn’t find anything better to say him.

What she could say, after all? 

She couldn’t understand completely his feelings, she could just imagine them. Mel realized fully how much she had been lucky, living with a family who loved her deeply, that celebrated her birthday showing its happiness to have her in their lives. 

“That wasn’t so awful, you know?” he tried to enlight the atmosphere, but his face was still hidden, avoiding her gaze “The cook gave me a special sweet once and the next year a woman in Redcliffe made for me a bunch of toy soldiers.”.

Still, Mel couldn’t reply. Alistair looked at her “I’m sorry, this doesn’t sound better, right?”

“I…” Mel swallowed her sadness, laying down again and gently forcing him to follow her “No, I think it’s a good thing. Those people were kind with you. But, now, we have to think something for your birthday.”

“Now? Great, I have an idea.” he smiled, kissing her throat, lazily playing with the hem of her blouse. Mel chuckled “I’m sorry, I’m still too tired. I was thinking about a special dinner, maybe? We’re not far from the next village, they surely will have a tavern.”.

Alistair pouted playfully “But my birthday is today. More or less, for an hour or two.”.

She really wanted to say no. She was still tired.

But his mouth was hot and gentle and compelling against hers and feeling his body so close made her blood boiling in her veins… oh, well, after all he deserved a present, right?

“Alistair?” she murmured later, much, much more later, skin against skin. Alistair whispered her name or maybe not, but she knew he was awoke.

Mel kissed his cheek “Happy birthday, Alistair.”

“Thanks, my beloved Warden.” his voice was soft, he seemed savouring her words and Mel yawned “But I still have to find you a present.”

“I have you. It’s more than enough.”

“Alistair?” she asked again, her eyes really too heavy to remain open “This was really cheesy!”.

His amused laugh lulled her, while she fell in a deep, pleasant sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! If you want to leave kudos and/or comments, I'd be very happy (like, a lot!).


End file.
